In an effort to diversify the local economy, the Lowcountry Economic Alliance wants to purchase three tracts of privately-owned property for commercial development. But it will need help from Beaufort County voters to make that happen.

In a presentation to the county’s Capital Projects Sales Tax Commission on Monday, alliance leaders outlined three projects that would cost roughly $59 million for land purchases. They would be aimed at attracting numerous out-of-town businesses, including industrial companies, defense contractors, technology firms and health care companies, among others.

The money to pay for the properties would have to come from a 1-percent capital project sales tax referendum the six-member panel is considering recommending to County Council, alliance director Kim Statler said. If the commission’s final list of projects is approved by council, voters would decide on them in November.

Statler told the commission the land purchases are needed to have space to attract companies and create a larger tax base.

“Right now, we have fewer jobs for more people moving in here,” Statler said, “and the reason we’re losing jobs is we are lacking in sites for primary employers to come in and create jobs, and we don’t have the proper infrastructure in place to be competitive regionally.”

Three locations

The three sites total about 1,200 acres of land in greater Bluffton, in Beaufort and near Yemassee.

The alliance would spend about $12.8 million for 46 acres of the more than 100-acre Pepper Hall tract, located near the intersection of U.S. 278 and S.C. 170 and owned by the prominent Graves family. Statler said that project would target higher-end medical and technology companies.

The alliance would also spend $22.7 million on an 832-acre site near Yemassee, referred to tentatively as a rail industrial park. Statler said the wooded location could be cleared, and its proximity to Interstate 95 at Exit 33 would be a strength in attracting a large manufacturer.

The nearby rail line would also offer easy transportation to the ports in Savannah and Charleston, said John Culbreath, Columbia regional director for Thomas & Hutton Engineering, which is working on designs for the project.

Finally, the group would spend $23.4 million for 449 acres near Beaufort Commerce Park aimed at park expansion. Most of the current park available for development is vacant, and Culbreath said expansion would be geared toward attracting defense and aerospace companies.

“By adding more land to the existing park, we’d push it closer to the Spanish Moss Trail and add more entrances to the park for people,” Culbreath said. “That two-lane road that is there currently makes it harder for people to enter.”

Once the properties are purchased, the alliance would also add roads, wastewater facilities and other improvements to the surrounding land, Culbreath said.

New industries

Statler said attracting such industries to Beaufort County would stabilize its economy and make it less dependent on just military and tourism. She also noted that just 0.25 percent of the company’s tax collections come from manufacturing businesses — substantially lower than surrounding counties.

“We have never heavily invested in this type of activity,” Statler said. “If we want to change this county’s footprint and what our tax collections could look like, we have to invest in what our competitors invest in — not just to change our tax base, but to change the lives of people that live here and desperately need a job.”

Diversifying industry and reeling in more business would also lower the tax burden on residents, Statler said.

“Other communities have a larger business base. The only way to relieve taxpayer burdens, create jobs for people and preserve quality of life is to invest in these types of development.”

Statler used CareCore National in Bluffton as an example of a large company bringing jobs in. According to statistics compiled by the alliance, the company’s 417 employees make an average of $33.55 an hour. Bringing in similar companies would make the area more attractive for local high school and college graduates.

“We have a tremendous population of underemployed people in this county and a pipeline coming out of the school systems,” Statler said. “We’re basically exporting a lot of them because they can’t find jobs here, so we need to find that competitive edge.”

Commission chairman Craig Forrest asked the alliance to prioritize the three projects in case all of them do not make a potential referendum.

The commission will hold its final public presentation meeting Monday at 6:30 p.m. at Town Hall on Hilton Head Island, 1 Town Centre Court. The commission will have until early June to compile a list of projects to submit to County Council, which would then have until Aug. 15 to approve the list and submit it to be placed on the November ballot.

The tax would last anywhere from two to eight years or until the projects are paid in full, county attorney Josh Gruber has said. Gruber added that the tax is projected to raise about $30 million annually.

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This group of con-artist needs get their money for more failed "endeavors" from someone else. If these properties are so great than shouldn't a competent land broker be proposing the purchases to private entities? Without this shell game of phony "middle men"? Who are over paying with our money.
The last venture ended up costing the citizens of the city of Beaufort $2'500'000 million dollars for land that is still vacant. Yet lets buy 449 acres (@ $52'000 per acre) of land right next door and have a even bigger waste land.
Eight hundred acres (@ $27'000 per acre) would be strip mined of tress. Who in the alliance has this cherry contract? This will be one large desolate eyesore. Besides shouldn't the companies involved do this kind of work when they build?
Now the death of the Okatie river will be final with the covering of 46 acres (@ $278'000 per acre) of water absorbing land with concrete and roof tops.
Finally we need to know who owns these properties presently and if any of the "alliance" have any kind of stake in them. If this "investment" is SO great than why do they not buy the land with their own money?
We the people need to tell our representatives to vote this scheme down. The government should not be a cookie jar of easy money. Our properties have been devalued by the run a muck big government socialism ($17'500'000'000'000.000 trillion).
I believe most of us are tapped out when it come to more taxes.

What about the land purchased next to the same property that is still vacant then sold to the City of Beaufort? Tax payers got stiffed with that purchase and it is still vacant. Why should we think the Alliance has a clue about what they are doing when their last venture still has not picked up a single business? What happened to the 800,000 dollar machine that Beaufort County purchased to attract another business which never materialized? Gary Cubic and his buddies in the Alliance are the only ones that make money on such insider trading type deals. I have an idea, if the Alliance wants this land, let them purchase it.